The Leader Lounge

Ep. 21 - The One Where We Go To Camp (Part 1)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2566896/fan_mail/new] I was skipping down the hallway dressed like a hamster. I'm 53 years old — and I love getting to do this 'cause it keeps me young. Camp season is here. In this special episode of The Leader Lounge, Chris and Emily  kick off a three-part series for leaders getting ready to take kids to camp. This first installment is the big-picture conversation; your walk with Jesus, thinking like a leader instead of a camper, why relationships are central, how to honor the surprise and the flow of the week, and practically what to pack and how to prepare.  Chris and Emily share their own stories from WyldLife and Young Life camps. A must-listen for first-time camp leaders, returning leaders, and anyone in youth ministry preparing kids for a week away. "When I get on the bus on the way home, I wanna be completely physically exhausted because I've gone all out the entire week being in it with kids." WHAT TO LISTEN FOR * Emily's reminder to not neglect your time with the Lord during a packed camp week * Praying before camp, and during club, during the talk, all day long * What it means to think like a leader, not a camper (especially for high school leaders) * The three types of leaders: the buddy, the authoritarian, and the adult friend — and why the middle one is what kids actually need * Why Young Life calls it "leader-centered camping" and how everything at camp is designed to put leaders with kids * "Pray for no wasted time," making the most of lines, walks, and in-between moments * Cabin time ground rules: everyone on the floor, same level, safe space, and how to handle disclosures * "OGK — Only God knows": honoring the surprise of camp without spoiling the wow factor * Why the flow of a Young Life camp week intentionally slows down toward the end of the week * Bringing extras for special nights so no kid feels left out * The backpack vacuum, the goldfish, and the ants - Chris's unforgettable cabin-time story * Chris's final encouragement: go all out, no matter how old you are FOR YOUTH LEADERS * Build in non-negotiable time with the Lord at camp; wake up early, sit on your bunk while kids get ready for bed, whatever it takes. Camp is exhausting; lean on him more, not less. * Be the adult friend, not the buddy or the authoritarian. * Set cabin-time ground rules out loud the first night, including the disclosure rule ("if it's about your safety or someone else's, we have to tell someone who can help"). Don't promise total confidentiality. * Honor the surprise. Don't spoil the wow factor for first-time campers — and have a conversation with your second-time campers about keeping the magic for the new ones. * Walk onto the bus home physically wrecked. If you have energy left at the end of the week, you weren't all the way in it. Note: We provide links to specific resources; this is not an endorsement of the entire website, author, organization, etc. Their views may not represent our's. Contact Us: leaderlounge@gmail.com Emily's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/em_storms_/] Chris' Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chris_storms_/] Chris' Substack - Love, Life, and Lampoonery [https://chrisstorms.substack.com/]

Ep. 23 - The One Where We Go To Camp (Part 3)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2566896/fan_mail/new] I'll eat every sardine in camp before I would get on the swing. The final installment of The Leader Lounge's three-part camp series brings it home. Chris and Emily walk through the rest of camp — the club room, the cabins, cabin time, all-camp events, rides, and free time — with the same practical, leader-tested thoughts. Chris talks pranks, lights-out, and respecting the cabin next door. Emily shares the journal practice that's transformed her cabin times, why she'll eat every sardine before getting on the swing, and the moment a non-believer girl walked up while she was reading her Bible in a pavilion. They wrestle with competitive events (and leaders who take it a little too far), why the gospel landing on you again as a leader matters as much as kids hearing it for the first time, and how to handle free time when you can't find your kids. A must-listen wrap-up for any leader heading to camp this summer. "Going to camp is a great way to remember." SCRIPTURE REFERENCED * Philippians 2 (referenced from last episode WHAT TO LISTEN FOR * Why the energy outside the club room matters as much as what happens inside * Spread out as leaders in the club room. Don't sit with your leader friends * It's okay to tell kids (and even other areas' kids) to be quiet during the talk * Spiritual warfare stories: the mystery humming at Sharptop and the strobe lights that wouldn't quit at WildLife camp * Why taking notes during the club talk models something kids may have never seen before * Cabin ground rules: stay in your own cabin, respect other people's stuff, no pranks ever * The water-fountain-vs-bathroom-sink debate (and the surprising truth about cabin sink water) * Cabin time done well: everyone on the floor, fidget toys and journals that calm kids down * Emily's confidentiality language: "We're gonna protect each other in here", with the safety caveat built in * Giving second-time campers a real role: "Sit with the kid who's never heard this before" * The Israelites kept forgetting, and so do we. Camp is a place to remember the gospel. * Be all in at every event, wear the team color, scream for the kid being pulled across the field on a mattress * The leader's job during competitive events: be the one who can dial it down * Why no pranks, no sneaking out, and quiet-by-lights-out really matters (other cabins have morning rides) * Rides as bonding: Gator Ball, the lake inflatables, bikes, the big swing * Chris's black eye story — and Emily's hard "no" on the swing Note: We provide links to specific resources; this is not an endorsement of the entire website, author, organization, etc. Their views may not represent our's. Contact Us: leaderlounge@gmail.com Emily's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/em_storms_/] Chris' Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chris_storms_/] Chris' Substack - Love, Life, and Lampoonery [https://chrisstorms.substack.com/]

Ep. 22 - The One Where We Go To Camp (Part 2)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2566896/fan_mail/new] Anything that draws attention to you and your table, we probably just shouldn't do. Camp doesn't start when you get there — it starts the second you walk into the parking lot to get on the bus. In Part 2 of The Leader Lounge's three-part camp series, Chris and Emily Storms get specific, walking through camp trip location by location: the bus ride, welcome, leader lounge, and dining hall. They share practical tips for first-time leaders and seasoned ones — from why you should learn your bus driver's name to how to handle phone collection, why every table at the dining hall is round on purpose, and the chants/spoons/under-the-table debates that derail the family feel. Anchored in Philippians 2 and Emily's reminder that "camp is a beautiful picture of the body of Christ," this episode is essential listening for any youth ministry leader getting ready to take kids to camp. "Camp is a beautiful picture of the body of Christ." SCRIPTURE REFERENCED * Philippians 2:3-7 WHAT TO LISTEN FOR * Why camp starts in the parking lot — meeting parents, welcoming first-time campers, and showing up with energy * Spread out on the bus, don't sit with all the leaders * Riddles, games, and conversation starters for the ride up * Get to know the bus driver's name (and keep them in a good mood) * Collecting phones and meds: Ziploc bags, Sharpies, and the legendary "wrong box" prank on the ride home * The moment you roll into camp; check-in, cookies, soda, and the bus loop welcome * Move kids forward toward program; don't worry about luggage (work crew has it) * Why someone needs to sweep the bus for forgotten pillows and gear (Chris' 3-hour lesson) * The leader lounge: a real space for you to rest, take calls, and meet for prayer with your area * Show up to leader meetings before the meeting starts * Why everything at camp is a surprise, and how to handle schedule photos respectfully * Round tables on purpose: recreating family-style meals for kids who don't get that at home * Fill your kids' waters first; sit with your back to the stage * Reading Philippians 2 to set the tone for humility * Why chants, happy birthday songs, spoons, and diving under the table for dessert undercut the family vibe * Match (and exceed) program's energy when they're up on stage — do the motions, scream the songs * Seating charts: hold them loosely. "Every kid who sits at your table is your kid." Note: We provide links to specific resources; this is not an endorsement of the entire website, author, organization, etc. Their views may not represent our's. Contact Us: leaderlounge@gmail.com Emily's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/em_storms_/] Chris' Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chris_storms_/] Chris' Substack - Love, Life, and Lampoonery [https://chrisstorms.substack.com/]

Ep. 20 - The One Where Jesus Feeds 5000 [Mark 6:30-44]

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2566896/fan_mail/new] The people chose to stay in the desolate place with Jesus rather than somewhere else without him. What happens when an exhausted, grieving Jesus is interrupted by a crowd of thousands? In this episode of The Leader Lounge, Chris and Emily read the feeding of the 5,000 across all four Gospels (Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, John 6) — the only miracle besides the resurrection that shows up in every Gospel. They notice what each writer chose to include: the desolate place, the green grass, the barley loaves, the boy who actually owned the food. Chris and Emily unpack why the people walked away from comfort to sit in a deserted place just to be near Jesus, why Jesus chose to use a little boy in a culture that didn't count women or children, and what it means that he made twelve baskets of leftovers when he didn't need to use the loaves and fish at all.  "Jesus can take anything, the smallest amount, and when we bring it to him and lay it at his feet, he can do anything he wants with it." SCRIPTURE REFERENCED * Matthew 14:13-21 * Mark 6:30-44 * Luke 9:10-17 * John 6:1-15 WHAT TO LISTEN FOR * The shared language across Matthew, Mark, and Luke — "a desolate place" * What's happening right before the miracle: the disciples returning from ministry, exhausted, and the news that John the Baptist had just been beheaded * Jesus being interrupted again — and choosing compassion over rest * Emily's insight: the people left their food and homes to sit in the desolate place because Jesus was there * John's unique detail — the little boy with five barley loaves and two fish * Why John's account has Jesus initiating the conversation about food * Jesus blesses the food and looks up to heaven before multiplying it * Why Jesus chose to use the disciples and the boy when he didn't need them at all * Emily's theory on what the 12 baskets of leftovers were really for * Another example of Jesus honoring the overlooked — women, children, and now a young boy in a patriarchal culture * Why "feeling inadequate" is exactly the right place to be when God wants to use you FOR YOUTH LEADERS * Try reading a Gospel story in all four (or all three Synoptic) accounts with your campaigners or small group. Have kids notice what each writer chose to include — it builds Bible literacy fast. * Use this story when a kid (or a leader) feels like they don't have enough to offer. Jesus takes the small thing, blesses it, and multiplies it — but he wants to include us in the work. * Notice the pattern Chris highlights: Jesus is interrupted, exhausted, and grieving — and still serves. That's a model for ministry seasons when you're running on fumes. * Point out the boy. In a culture that didn't count women or children, Jesus chose to use a kid. That's a powerful reminder of how God sees the young leaders in your ministry. NEXT WEEK ON THE LOUNGE A new kind of episode — the start of a three-part series on camp. Practical wisdom for Young Life and WyldLife leaders getting ready to take kids to camp this summer. Note: We provide links to specific resources; this is not an endorsement of the entire website, author, organization, etc. Their views may not represent our's. Contact Us: leaderlounge@gmail.com Emily's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/em_storms_/] Chris' Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chris_storms_/] Chris' Substack - Love, Life, and Lampoonery [https://chrisstorms.substack.com/]

Ep. 19 - The One About A Woman Caught in Adultery [John 7:53–8:11]

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2566896/fan_mail/new] Jesus bends down, writes in the dirt, and gives a shamed woman her dignity back — then does the same for her accusers. What do you do with a story that doesn't even appear in the earliest manuscripts? In this episode of The Leader Lounge, Young Life leaders Chris and Emily Storms walk through the woman caught in adultery (John 7:53–8:11) — starting with why your Bible has that little note above it, and why the church has still treated it as canon. They unpack the trap the scribes and Pharisees set, the dignity Jesus gives the woman simply by bending down and writing in the dirt, and the dignity he gives her accusers by not looking up as they walk away. Chris and Emily wrestle with the tension of "neither do I condemn you" and "go and sin no more" — grace and truth in the same breath. A rich conversation for youth ministry leaders, parents, and anyone teaching kids how to hold both compassion and the call to holiness. SCRIPTURE REFERENCED * John 7:53–8:11 * Deuteronomy 22:20–24 WHAT TO LISTEN FOR * Why most Bibles have a footnote above this passage — and why it's still in the canon * Setting the scene: the temple, the feast, Nicodemus, and Jesus spending the night on the Mount of Olives * What the scribes and Pharisees were really after — a charge against Jesus, not justice for the woman * The detail Chris notices: they brought the woman, but conveniently left the man * Why Jesus bending down to write in the dirt may have been an act of dignity — taking every eye off the woman * The line that flips the room: "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her" * Insight on Jesus bending down a second time — giving dignity to the accusers as they walk away * Why the older ones leave first — wisdom, or willingness to admit they've sinned? * A pattern of Jesus and women: the bleeding woman, the woman at the well, and now this one * Why Jesus asks her a question he already knows the answer to * Holding grace and truth together: "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on, sin no more." * A practical teaching tip from Chris: act it out when you tell this story to kids FOR YOUTH LEADERS * When you tell this story to kids, act it out — actually bend down and "write" in the dirt. It changes how the room feels the moment. * Don't stop at "Jesus loves you." Teach the full line: "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more." Grace and truth belong together. * Notice who Jesus protects in the story — not just the woman, but the accusers too. That's a powerful model for how we handle a kid's confession or a hard moment in campaigners. * If you teach the manuscript footnote honestly, you build trust. Kids can handle the question "why is this in my Bible?" — and your honest answer makes Scripture more credible to them, not less. NEXT WEEK ON THE LOUNGE The feeding of the 5,000 — see you next Tuesday. Note: We provide links to specific resources; this is not an endorsement of the entire website, author, organization, etc. Their views may not represent our's. Contact Us: leaderlounge@gmail.com Emily's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/em_storms_/] Chris' Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/chris_storms_/] Chris' Substack - Love, Life, and Lampoonery [https://chrisstorms.substack.com/]